


Our Song

by ludextruction



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Sex, Mild Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Song Lyrics, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 03:39:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16715888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ludextruction/pseuds/ludextruction
Summary: Inspired by "Our Song" of The xx. On a full moon night, Julian can't sleep. Another nightmare, another sleepless night. But Haruna, the apprentice, decides to take care of him.





	Our Song

**Author's Note:**

> I’m really soft in these days and, listening to Cigarettes After Sex and The xx, I thought back to “The Moon” and how Julian really needs a break. DAT BOI DESERVES LOVE. So I threw down this short-fic, inspired in the moment. Hope you like it!

 

> _All I have, I will give to you._  
>  _And at times when no one wants to,_  
>  _I will give you me._  
>  _And we'll be_  
>  _Us._

The full moon colors Vesuvia of a delicate white light, strong but gentle at the time. The cloudless sky is dotted with a picture of stars reflecting off the surface of the canals. The air is mild and silent, like not wanting to disturb the sleep of the city. It's the perfect night for worry-free sleep.

Yet, there is something that doesn’t add up.

In the middle of the night, Haruna, taken by an instinct, slowly opens her eyelids, weighed down by sleep, the numb pupils focus on the other side of the bed. Empty. With only a depression on the pillow. She lifts herself up from the bed, panicked.

_Where's Julian?_

Haruna leans out of bed to see the chair next to the bed. Julian's clothes are still there, his coat, his shirt and his leather gloves and boots. She breathes a sigh of relief.

Rising from the bed, the girl goes in the direction of the tent that separates the bedroom from the kitchen of Mazelinka's house. She is not there, she left for one of her trips and asked the favor of Haruna and Julian to look after the house in her absence.

Julian is right there, sitting on a stool, shirtless. His head thrown on his arms resting on the counter, his face covered. One of the hands holds an iron glass.

«Julian?»

Julian jumps, jerking his head up to turn to the source of the voice that called him. His face is tired, his eyes swollen with sleep.

«Hey, dear».

«What are you doing? Why are not you in bed?» Haruna asks, approaching him. Her tone is between the curious and the worried. Julian grins, looking at an indefinite point in front of him. «Uh, I couldn’t sleep, so it seemed like a good time to drink».

«In the middle of the night?» Haruna's voice is firm but not accusatory.

Julian turns to her, raising the glass. «It's always a good time for some booze… Cheers!»

He takes a sip, but is promptly stopped by Haruna, who grabs firmly his hand and slowly lowers it towards the counter. Julian's grin, at her gesture, disappears. The girl looks at him intently.

«…You had another nightmare, did you?»

The bravado on Julian's face breaks. His expression drops and, almost instantly, begins to tremble slightly. After a few seconds of silence, he admits with a sigh, his head down.

«Yes…»

Of course, he had another nightmare. It has been a long time since Julian's sleep is disturbed by the frequent dreams of past events. The reappearance of Lucio, the Devil's deceptions, the assassination plans of Valdemar… And the terrifying nightmare suffered in the Death’s Realm. Thanks to Haruna, Julian has managed to grow, to overcome his self-loathing, his self-pity and his constant sacrifice to protect his loved ones. But all this effort is unleashed in nightmares that make him sleep even less than he does.

She sighs. «You know that drinking doesn’t help…»

«I know…» Julian answers «But at least I stop thinking».

Haruna feels something in her chest breaking. It hurts her to see him like that, to see him fall back into the old and toxic habits he had before. She can’t stand it.

Gently, she takes the mug from his hands. «Come with me».

She takes him by the hand and pulls him to her, bringing him back to the bedroom. Julian looks at her doubtfully but follows her without replying. Haruna lies down on the bed, without letting go of his hand.

«Come here».

Julian listens to her and lies down. Once he’s beside her, she wraps her arms around his neck and gently pulls his head on her chest, caressing his auburn curls. She whispers sweetly.

«Relax and breathe. I’m here, no one’s going to hurt you… No one’s going to hurt us».

 

> _You know, I know you're hurt._  
>  _I want to mend your heart._  
>  _You broke down._  
>  _Why don't you tell me from the start?_  
>  _You know, I know you're hurt_  
>  _I want to mend your heart_  
>  _And there's no one else._

Julian's initial surprise immediately gives way to ease, as he wraps his arms around her waist, pressing her to himself and nuzzling against her chest. They spend a few minutes like that, with Julian trying to relax, stimulated by her caresses. Suddenly, Haruna hears him sob against her chest. His grip becomes tighter, more desperate, as if he was scared she could run away at any moment.

She kisses him on the head, continuing to stroke his hair, and lets him cry, without interrupting. She knew it would happen, considering the mix of alcohol and sleep deprivation. Another time passes, and Julian finally stops sobbing. He moves slightly away from Haruna's chest and looks up at her, meeting her gaze. His face and eyes flushed with tears.

«I-I wet your dress… Sorry…» He murmurs, embarrassed. Haruna giggles softly. «It’s okay, it’s just water».

Her hands descend to his face to caress and dry his wet cheeks. He comes towards her, approaching her face for a delicate, gentle kiss. Their lips stroking each other, tongues that meet halfway. Her hands resting on her bared shoulders, while he strokes the small of her back and pulling her nightgown lightly.

They crave each other. They need each other. And not just physically.

She made him a better person, helped him grow. Her tenacity and stubbornness broke the barriers of pain and despair that he created over the years. On the other hand, Haruna, thanks to Julian, came out of her shell. Since she remembers, she has never gone beyond what her space was. The shop, the life with Asra, the study of magic. From the time she met Julian, she discovered the life of the city, the adventure, and how good it is to take care of others.

After a lingering kiss, they parted for air. Their gazes intense, magnetized to each other, with adoration. Their faces blushed, their foreheads connected.

«…Do you want me?» Haruna whispers, breaking the silence. The flush on Julian's face becomes more vivid.

«…Yes»

And then, their lips attached again. Slowly at first, then more and more needy. Haruna straddle him, placing her hands on his chest, without breaking the kiss. Once she was above him, she slowly moves her lips to trace a delicate path of feather-light kisses along his jaw, up to the neck, along the tendon, tense by anticipation. Julian moans in his sighs and breaths, waiting for something rougher. She knows well that with him she can dare, reach the limits of pain, without him saying anything. But at that moment, on that occasion, she simply doesn’t want to. She reaches his ear, gently biting the lobe, before whispering inside, seductively.

«Relax… Let me take care of you».

Julian's breath grows sharper, while his grip on her tights becomes stronger.

«I-I need you‒»

«Ssshhh».

She lifts her head to look at him and puts a finger on his half-closed lips. She looks him intensely, straight in his grey eyes, inviting him to calm down. Her expression is calm, a kind and seductive smile printed on her face. Slowly, Julian returns to normal breathing, relaxing the muscles.

«Yes, just like that» she murmurs «I want you to be calm, let me do the rest… You need it»

Julian smiles, bringing his hand to her neck and tracing a circle on her cheek with the thumb, before pulling her to himself for a kiss. He parts slightly, to look at her.

«…Thank you» He says, sincerely, an inch from her lips. «I love you».

 

> _Who knows me_  
>  _Like you do?_  
>  _What I've done, you've done too._  
>  _The walls I_  
>  _Hide behind,_  
>  _You walk through._  
>  _You just walk through._

She smiles sweetly, stroking the strands falling on his forehead. «I love you too».

And after that, no more words. Only kisses, breathes and caresses. Roughness isn’t necessary now. What Haruna want for Julian is a bit of peace, of happiness, enjoying the bliss of being in each other's arms and make love. Julian is not yet used to this kind of sweetness, but every time he is surprised at how good it is, feeling loved without hesitation or fear from the other. If he happens to ask himself what see sees in him, it takes only a moment like this to make him forget those doubts that he keeps asking himself constantly.

Once exhausted, the two intertwine each other in a hug, before falling asleep. Julian is finally taken by sleep, thanking the fate of having brought in his arms a fantastic woman, who loves him unconditionally from his mistakes of the past and his faults, and swears to himself to love her with all his strength. Forever.


End file.
